At the End of All Things
by Lous-Me
Summary: What will happen after the final battle at the end of all things? I'm not so good a summaries, so please reand and if you have a suggestion for a better summary  just holler!


I do not have any claim to any of the characters herewith. They simply torment me into trying to write about them!

The final battle with Naraku was drawing near. Kagome knew this instinctively. The air was thick with rumour of his evil and the usual fauna of the area surrounding Kaede's village was unnaturally quiet. Although there had been no sign of the evil hanyou for many weeks and no trace of the jewel could be found anywhere, Kagome knew he was biding his time and laying traps to begin the fight. The rest of the villagers seemed to feel the tension as well as she did; they were quiet as they worked in their fields where they would usually sing or talk quietly and the children had stopped playing outside in the late autumn sunshine.

She thought that she should make the most of this calm before the storm to return home to her own time. There was no telling what was going to happen when the storm broke but she ought to see her family one more time, just in case.

Inuyasha made no protest when she voiced her intentions. Instead he accompanied her to the well agreeing that she really should make the most of her time with her family and watched morosely as she took the jump into the time slip. She had invited him to come with her, but he had declined saying that goodbyes between family members were not something anyone should intrude on, no matter how close they were to the rest of that family. He would follow in a day or two when she had had a chance to be alone with her family.

A little surprised at his reticence, Kagome had left with a gentle smile on her face. She knew that he was thinking of how each of their friends had lost their families without a chance to say goodbye properly. How he had lost his mother without having the opportunity to make his own final farewells. Sometimes his sensitivity and tact took her by surprise. It was not a side he showed very often, but Kagome knew it was there just beneath the 'tough hanyou' surface.

Kagome felt a little strange when she climbed out of the well in her own time. The atmosphere was light and happy, there was no threat of battle hanging over the land and life was going on as it always had. Her mother was in the house making the midday meal, her Grandfather was sweeping the shrine steps with his old worn out broom and Souta was kicking his football around in the courtyard being carefully watched by Buyo.

She sighed and for a moment felt deeply guilty that she had left the others in such an oppressive atmosphere when she could retreat back to her little slice of normality any time she wished. For the barest microsecond the though flashed through her mind that she did not actually _have_ to go back. Her conscience immediately suppressed the thought. No, she would never stay here whilst her friends needed her, _never_. She would go back because she owed them all her loyalty and the fight to defeat Naraku was one she had been born to fight. Ashamed of such thoughts, she gave herself a mental shake and started towards the house.

Seeing that her daughter had come home once more, Mama waved a greeting through the kitchen window and smiled. Kagome had grown up so fast in the last three years. She knew that it was thanks to the things that she had seen and done on the other side of the well, but she could not help but marvel at the incredible young woman her daughter was becoming. There was something within her that was harder than adamant and at times it made her seem utterly unbreakable, but at the same time she was also softer and kinder, almost as if she was determined not to let the horrors of the Feudal Era harden her heart and darken her soul.

A tired and sad smile reflected her own and she set aside her preparations for dinner and put the kettle on to boil water for some tea. She knew from the way her daughter looked at her and the slight slump in her shoulders that Kagome had something to tell them all and she wasn't sure they would like it at all.

"Would you like a cup of tea dear? I've just put the kettle on so it won't be long."

Kagome ran into her mother's warm embrace and could not stop the helpless tears that forced their way past her closed eyelids, "Oh, Mama!" she wailed into the shoulder of her mother's soft shirt.

"Shhh, I know. It'll be alright. It's come to the end hasn't it?"

Although it was a rhetorical question, Kagome nodded her head mutely, unable to speak past the tears that just would not stop. She clung to her mother desperately and wept whilst she smoothed her hair and whispered soft, encouraging words.

Letting Kagome cry herself out, Mama gently led her into the kitchen and sat her at the table with a cup of strong tea. It was not long before they were joined by Souta and Grandpa who both sat at the table opposite Kagome looking uncomfortable.

"What is it Sis? Where's Inuyasha?" Souta asked timidly.

Looking up at her brother, Kagome sniffed back her tears and bravely smiled. "He's coming in a day or two but he thought I might like to see you all without him first, so he let me come on ahead alone."

Mama put a cup of tea in front of Grandpa and took a seat next to Kagome. "You came back without him and he didn't cause a fuss?" Her family all knew that Inuyasha would always argue the point when it came to Kagome returning to her own time. That he should suggest that she come home by herself was something new entirely. Kagome gave her a quizzical look, but Mama answered her own question.

"He thinks the well might seal, doesn't he? He wants to give you the chance to say goodbye to us just in case the worst comes to the worst."

Kagome smiled sadly at her mother, Mama didn't miss a trick did she? A gnarled hand covered her own, "You could always stay here with us." Grandpa looked at her seriously and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You would not have to go into battle -"

"I can't stay," She shook her head slowly, "My friends need me and I would never abandon them, especially not now after everything we've all been through to get to this point." She lowered her eyes, unable to face the sadness in Grandpa's expression, "I have a responsibility to help them. With the battle so close, I don't know when I'll have a chance to come back-"

"What about us?"

Souta's simply asked question brought home to her the decision she had to make and the gravity of her situation struck her with great force. She stood to lose her family and it would be because of a decision made right now. She knew deep down in her heart that she would go back and fight, there was no question of that, but if she survived the battle with Naraku and the well sealed, she would be cut off from her family by 500 years. This time tomorrow she could already have been 500 years dead!

Of course they were all making the assumption that the well would seal automatically. It might not but it could also seal behind her if she came home, leaving her isolated from her friends in the past. Separating her from Inuyasha. As she thought about a life without Inuyasha and the rest of her friends, she could almost feel a cold hand close around her heart.

"I... I don't know Souta. If the well seals I'll be trapped in the past. I'll always have a responsibility to my friends; I was the one that shattered the jewel and if Naraku had not managed to gather almost all of the jewel shards, a lot of the deaths that he has caused would not have happened. I do have a responsibility to you all as well but I can't... I just can't..."

Mama put her arm around Kagome as she broke down into heavy sobs and cried. "I don't want to lose you; none of us do, but I respect that you have such loyalty to your friends. I understand that you have an obligation to go back and fight and much as I would dearly love to try and stop you going back, I won't. If our situations were reversed, I would do the same in your place." Kagome gave Mama a watery eyed gaze, surprised at her words.

"It's every Mother's job to keep their children safe from danger, but the world is full of unforeseen dangers against which nothing can protect. Love is one such danger: you love your friends and you cannot let them face this final battle alone. There is no way that I could have protected you from love, nor would I have tried. I have faith that Inuyasha would do everything in his power to keep you from harm, it is obvious that he cares very much for you, that is why I would not stop you going back: I know that he would die to protect you from harm."

Kagome found a new kind of respect for the wonderful woman that had raised her. She hoped that she could be as loving and understanding and compassionate if such a situation as this one facing them all, arose in her future.

"Besides, the well might not close straight away. Then you can always come back Sis." Souta's eyes were suspiciously bright and Kagome reached across the table to take one of his hands in hers. Grandpa did not say anything, but he squeezed her hand again gently.

She smiled warmly at her family. They all knew what was at stake and they knew that they could not stop her going back to finally end the very real threat posed by Naraku, so they were accepting her decision and encouraging her. The lump in her throat threatened to choke her and she could not help the tears of love that fell.

"Thank you."

"You let Kagome go through the well on her own?!"

Shippo was to say the least surprised when Inuyasha had returned to the village looking thoughtful and more importantly, without Kagome.

"Since when do you let Kagome go home without trying to destroy the well or threaten to go and get her after a day or something?!"

Inuyasha gave the young kitsune a glare and mumbled something inaudible.

"What?"

"I said that if the well closes after we defeat Naraku, then there ain't going to be any going back for Kagome! She'll be stuck here with us and won't have had a chance to say goodbye to her family!"

Shippo had the grace to look embarrassed and though he would never apologise, he grasped the reason Inuyasha had allowed Kagome to go on alone. He wished he'd had a chance to say goodbye to his family before they had been slaughtered and it was only fair to allow Kagome the opportunity to do so. Just in case.

He knew that Inuyasha hoped Kagome would choose to stay with them if the well remained open after the final battle; they all did, but if she was forcibly stuck here it would be difficult for her to accept the loss of her family and having never said her farewells.

"You like Kagome's family too, don't you Inuyasha?" Sango asked quietly.

"Yeah."

Inuyasha smiled faintly. In truth, they were among the only humans that had ever truly accepted him. The first had been his mother and then he had thought that Kikyo had, but that was proved wrong when she asked him to become human for her.

Kagome and her family were the only others that had truly accepted him for who and what he was. He didn't feel like just a filthy half-breed when he was with Kagome and her family. They welcomed him and made him feel warm inside and it was a feeling he had long thought he would never feel again. He felt struck by a deep sense of loss at the thought that he might never be able to visit Kagome's family again.

Inuyasha decided that he would follow her tomorrow if she had not come back by then. Although he had said he'd wait a couple of days, he really couldn't wait that long to see her - and her family of course. He also wanted to wish them well and reassure them that whilst he was alive nothing would ever be able harm Kagome; he would not allow it.

As if Inuyasha's thoughts of her had acted as a summons, one of Kikyo's soul collectors glided through the air above him, calling him out to see the undead Miko. Sango and Miroku just looked at each other and could not bring themselves to meet his eyes.

"Damn..."

Seeing the soul stealing demon glide off to the west into Inuyasha's forest, Miroku could not help but sigh.

"Are you going to go to her Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gave Miroku a dangerous look, even though the monk had not asked the question unkindly. With a final curse, he took off after the soul catcher and followed it.

Although there was no urgency in the flight of the soul catcher, Inuyasha had no doubts that Kikyo needed to see him as soon as possible. He could almost feel her calling him.

The soul catcher led him straight to the Sacred Tree and to Kikyo, who was sat nestled in the roots underneath the very spot to which she had pinned him all those years ago. She did not stand when he approached her, but fixed him with her dead, cold eyed gaze.

"Naraku has laid his plans and is coming for the last shard of the Shikon No Tama. He has already taken the shard from the back of the boy, Kohaku and is hunting the wolf Koga for his shards. It will not be long before he comes after Kagome for the one that she possesses. It would be best if you faced him far from the village on ground that you have chosen, not somewhere that he can trap you."

Three shards left. With Kohaku's shard taken and incorporated into the jewel that Naraku had, Koga had little chance of escaping with his life let alone his shards. Inuyasha thought it strange that the thought of Koga being taken care of did not give him such a surge of satisfaction as it once would have. He might not like it but the wolf had been of use to him and his friends in the past. He'd even saved Kagome's life on a couple of occasions, much to Inuyasha's continued disgust and, though he would never admit it out loud, eternal gratitude.

"Where is Naraku now?"

"He is still in the Eastern Lands chasing Koga. He has not yet approached the plains of Musashi, but it will not take him long to turn his attention here. He is coming and you should start moving to meet him as soon as possible."

Her tone hardened and she stood gracefully, summoning her soul collectors to gather her up, "Remember that your life is mine. I will not permit one such as Naraku to take your life: do not allow yourself to be killed by him until I come for you."

Inuyasha watched mutely as Kikyo was carried off by her attendant demons. He found himself thinking of a saying that he had heard Kagome's mother tell her grandfather one day. 'Hindsight is a wonderful thing'. Quite often the question, 'What if?' came into his mind when he encountered the undead Miko. What if he had been more trusting of her? What if he had arrived earlier on that fateful day? What if Kikyo had not died? What if he had told her how he had felt about her? What if none of this had ever happened? What if he had never met her?

The last question was the easiest to answer. He would probably be fighting for his life somewhere, existing instead of living. He had a lot to be grateful to her for. He had never been able to hate her, even after she had shot him and sealed him. Seeing her reduced to her current state angered him and he vowed again that he would exact revenge for both of them.

Kikyo's information was not exactly news to him, he knew that the end was near, but he had not realised that Kohaku's shard had finally been taken. He realised that somehow he was going to have to break the news to Sango.

Although he detested the skinny wolf, Inuyasha hoped Koga put up a good fight when Naraku finally tracked him down. Kagome would be upset if he were killed, but Inuyasha was not going to go out of his way to rescue the wimpy wolf again. Koga was on his own, he had his own concerns that needed taking care of.

Having made his mind up to go and see Kagome tomorrow, Inuyasha walked slowly to the well and knelt before it, crossing his arms and leaning them on the rim, resting his chin on his forearms. He knew he should go and tell Sango what Kikyo had told him about her brother, but he just wanted to sit and think for a while.

There was one 'What if' that he added to his list of questions: what if he'd never met Kagome? He would still be pinned to the Sacred Tree for starters, unaware of the existence of Naraku. He would likely have been stuck there for all eternity if Kagome hadn't been pulled through the well by Mistress Centipede. He also would never have met her if both he and Kikyo had not been tricked into mistrusting each other. He sighed, some things were too complicated for him to reason out, life and death. And reincarnation.

He couldn't recall the exact moment when it had become so natural to have Kagome by his side, but he was just grateful that she had stayed with him for the past three years. There were numerous times where she would have been well within her rights to go through the well and never return to him. He wouldn't have blamed her either on some of those occasions.

If the well stayed open for a while after they managed to defeat Naraku, then Inuyasha hoped that Kagome would chose to stay with him - and the others of course, but mainly with him. Okay only him. He knew that he was stronger when she was with him, no-one seemed to know exactly why but he thought it was because deep down he felt a powerful need to protect her. He always would; even at the cost of his own life.

Scenting the wind from the village, Inuyasha smelled the approach of Shippo. The young kit must be coming to keep a vigil for Kagome's return or to tease him about his running off to see Kikyo. Inuyasha did not move when Shippo spotted him leaning on the side of the well.

"Why don't you go after her Inuyasha? It's been a whole half a day already!"

Inuyasha snorted, surprised that for once Shippo had not opened their 'conversation' with a short remark about the undead miko. Inuyasha knew that he wasn't the only one that missed Kagome's presence when she went home; Shippo looked upon her as his foster mother and would only really behave when she was around. Even then he was still a little unruly, but Kagome's calming influence wasn't just extended to Inuyasha, Shippo felt it too.

"Would you have liked it if someone came busting in on you when you were saying goodbye to your family, if you had known what was going to happen?"

Shippo hung his head, "You're right I suppose." He sat next to Inuyasha on the rim of the well. "It's kinda quiet when she's not here isn't it?"

Inuyasha made a noncommittal noise in his throat and kept his eyes on the well. He sighed.

"Oh no, he's off again; moping 'cause Kagome's not here. I'm sure she won't mind it if you are in her time Inuyasha. You can always make yourself scarce; stay in the grounds or something."

Shippo was only trying to be helpful, Inuyasha knew that but it was annoying when all he wanted to do was just that - go to Kagome and just be near her. Looking up at Shippo, he couldn't help but smile a little. Did he look as forlorn as his young companion? Shippo looked like he might die if Kagome didn't come back soon! He supposed that he probably did.

He stood and stretched.

"I have to see Sango first."

"But then you'll go and get Kagome?"

"Yeah."

Shippo all but bounced back to the village beside his friend.

It had been Mama's idea for the four of them to go into town. It wasn't very often that Grandpa would agree to closing the shrine to visitors, but he had hung the chain that said the shrine was closed and they all took the bus into the centre of town.

A shopping trip and a nice meal would be the order of the day and Kagome was happy that her family knew what was going to happen and what could happen.

She had been asked by Mama to keep a journal if she did get trapped in the past, so that she could read about her life and see that she was well. It was agreed that it should be buried at the base of the Sacred Tree if it was ever written.

Grandpa had told her that he would provide her with a genuine 'Hand of Glory' to take back with her for luck and that it would prevent any harm befalling her and allow her to pass through the well again. Thinking of the mummified water imp hand he had given her on her 15th birthday, Kagome just smiled and said that she'd be fine; after all she had Inuyasha and the rest of her friends to help keep her safe. Grandpa had not exactly been pleased about the fact that she had more faith in a half demon than her own flesh and blood, but he kept his opinions to himself for a change, instead just settling for a grumpy harrumph and his version of Inuyasha's best intimidating stare.

The couple of hours spent in getting a meal for lunch and wandering around the shops made Kagome realise how much she missed the Feudal Era; its undisturbed quiet and the cleanliness of the air. There were a hell of a lot fewer people per square inch and they were a darn sight friendlier too. The realisation that as much as she loved her family on this side of the well, it was her adopted family and her second home that felt more like 'home' to her. It drew a sigh out of her that Mama didn't miss.

"What is it dear?"

Kagome smiled, Mama knew what was wrong, but she wanted Kagome to tell her. "I know that I will be going back, but I think that I would have chosen to stay over there. I have no connection to this time now besides you, Souta and Grandpa. Yuka, Eri, Ayumi and even Hojo don't call at the shrine any more do they?"

Mama shook her head. "No they don't. Hojo did used to visit us every so often to see if you were there, but even his visits stopped after a while." She gave her daughter a smile. "I know that you won't just abandon us if the well does stay open after you win this battle."

Mama sounded so convinced that Kagome and her friends would win the day that the strength in her voice made Kagome stop still for a moment. "You sound like you are reading the future Mama. Naraku is so powerful and is unbelievably evil. There is no guarantee that we will defeat him. Inuyasha believes that we will and I do trust him, but -"

"He's right to believe that you will win. I know that you will and I can prove it to you."

Okay, her mother was going a little crazy, Kagome thought to herself.

"Do you see any evidence of demons in our modern world? Do Naraku's evil minions plague our daily lives like those of your friends on the other side of the well? No. So it just goes to shown that at some point in the past he was defeated so completely that he could not cause any further harm, nor threaten anyone ever again."

Kagome was stunned that she had not thought of it herself! Her world was free of demons and half demons and other such dangerous creatures: she'd told Inuyasha as much on many an occasion. She began to wonder if his confidence was merely his way of saying that they would make it through by their own strength or if he was really reading what he'd sheen in the future. He might be dense about some things, but there were times that Inuyasha surprised her with his shrewd observations. He was not nearly as stupid as he made out that he was.

Her thoughts of the half demon made her smile and she linked an arm through Mama's. "You're right. We must have succeeded in destroying Naraku for us to have not seen any evidence of demons in the last 500 years or so." She smiled a little wider at that thought. They could do this; Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha and herself. They could. Shippo was too young to fight seriously but his tricks could distract lesser demons away from the village, he would not have to get so involved in the fight as the rest of them.

She gave a small start surprised at how easily her thoughts slid towards coming up with strategies for the coming battle. Perhaps Inuyasha was starting to rub off on her. Well, perhaps not. His usual battle plan was to charge into the fray without thinking, brandishing Tessaiga and shouting at the top of his lungs. Mama must have noticed the grim look on her daughter's face as she became lost in thought as she put her hand over Kagome's arm and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry about Souta, Grandpa and I, we'll be fine. If you keep a journal like you promised, we'll all know that you are safe and well: I doubt Inuyasha would let anything happen to his best friend. He cares for you too much for that. Knowing you are happy is all I need to keep me going."

"Mama!" Kagome knew she was blushing furiously but she couldn't stop grinning all the same.

For the remainder of the afternoon she was content to let her brother dictate which shops they visited and even bought him a present just for being there with her. They even spent the best part of an hour in one of the old antique shops her Grandpa dragged them into, though she could not keep up her pretence of interest as he showed her all kinds of 'mystical' relics that he threatened to buy for her protection in the coming battle. She almost managed to get out of the shop without anything, but when Grandpa pointed out a small arrow-head shaped charm she felt instantly drawn to it and relented. The sales clerk smilingly wrapped it up in a small packet and she slipped it into her bag.

A quiet peace surrounded the family of four as they walked back up the ancient steps to the shrine. All of them knew that their lives would never be the same once Kagome went back through the well. She might be able to come back, she might not. The future was not written but they had been given an opportunity to say goodbye if the worst came to the worst.

The rest of the afternoon was almost as if the earlier events of the day had never been: Kagome sequestered herself in her room to try and study, Mama tried to get Souta to follow her example and Grandpa sat in the living room reading his paper. To all intents and purposes life had resumed its usual rhythm, but the feeling was one of not so much tension, as expectation. Kagome had decided that she would stay for another couple of days, but had said that she really could not spend more than three days away as things could happen very quickly on the other side of the well.

After the evening meal had been eaten and the dishes put away, Kagome retired to her room to get some rest. She knew that her chances of actually getting any on the other side of the well were at best, slim to none so she ought to make the most of every opportunity. She watched the night closing in and knew full well that despite her best efforts, she would not sleep tonight.

"What did Kikyo want to talk to you about this time?"

The air inside Kaede's hut suddenly became thick and stifling. Inuyasha could not meet the gaze of his formidable friend. Sango sat opposite him on the other side of the cook fire and smelled faintly nervous.

"Well, er... She told me that Naraku is hunting Koga. He won't take long to track the mangy wolf down and take his shards..."

The Taijiya narrowed her eyes slightly and smelled distinctly suspicious. "There's something else isn't there?" He hesitated before shaking his head slightly, "You're not a liar Inuyasha so don't start now."

He forced himself to meet her eyes but found that now he could not make his voice work. It was one thing to tell her that her brother was following Kikyo around, but another thing entirely to tell Sango that he had been killed. Again.

Dropping his gaze once more Inuyasha tried to form the words, "She said that... I'm so s... She told me that, well..."

Why was he, Inuyasha being such a coward! Why could he not her what he had been told? The people of the village he and his mother had lived in had not even hesitated when they had informed him of his mother's death. He had simply been instructed to leave if he valued his worthless existence.

But Sango was his friend. He'd not realised how close he had grown to Kagome and his other friends, but he realised that he couldn't tell Sango about Kohaku because he didn't want to cause her further pain. He sighed and managed a forced whisper as he haltingly told Sango that Kohaku was at peace this time.

To his surprise, Sango gave him a sad smile. "At least he is now free from Naraku's grasp. I am grateful you chose to tell me Inuyasha." Strong though she was, Inuyasha could tell that Sango was on the verge of tears. He started to panic, dealing with Kagome crying was one thing, but _Sango_?! Usually he'd just pull Kagome into a hug and let her cry herself out or run off in a panic. He couldn't really hug Sango, so he chose the latter option: flight.

He was saved the feeling of abandoning his friend when Miroku and Shippo returned. Seeing the state Sango was in, Miroku just sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his chest. Inuyasha took that as his cue to leave. He just didn't know what to do in situations like this!

He heard Sango choke out her brother's name as she dissolved into wracking sobs and Miroku's low voice as he spoke soft, soothing words to try and calm the woman in his arms.

Deciding that he had had just about all he could manage, Inuyasha bounded off for towards well and decided that he would make good on his promise to Shippo; after all, he could always stay in the grounds of the shrine and remain unnoticed by any of the human occupants if he needed to, it was a skill he had long practiced in staying out of the way of those that would have harmed him as a youngster.

It didn't take him long to reach the well, but the sound of Sango's pain still echoed through his mind. He remembered a day over fifty years past when he had wept like Sango had upon hearing of the final death of her last surviving family member. He had been a child then, but her pain had echoed his own on that fateful day so long ago. His mother had died leaving him alone in the world, his only living family would rather he didn't exist and tried on numerous occasions to make that a reality.

Inuyasha gave himself a brief mental shake. He had a family now, of sorts. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kilala, Kaede….Kagome. They were his family now, a family that somehow had grouped themselves around the extraordinary young woman from the future. One of Kagome's sayings came unbidden to him mind and he smiled faintly; 'You can choose your friends, but not your family'. In this case he had to disagree, he would have chosen his present family any day without a moments hesitation. Sure they all fought and bickered, what family didn't, but deep down they all cared for each other deeply - some a whole lot more deeply than others, there was a genuine affection that tied them all together.

The well appeared before him out of the gathering darkness, he hadn't realised it was starting to get dark. The ancient timbers of the upper portion of the well had soaked up the heat of the day and were warm when Inuyasha knelt beside the well leaned on them, resting his chin on his crossed forearms. He sighed once and looked down into the well. "Don't be mad at me for coming to get you early Kagome. I just really need to see your smile right now."

Emotions were complex things that he had never had to worry about until now. They confused the hell out of him and he would have given anything to understand them properly so he could help Sango and understand Kagome when she closed up on him sometimes. He understood hurt though and grief too. He knew that he really ought to wait until the morning to go and get Kagome, but Sango's pain was a palpable entity that drove him away: he just couldn't face it as it raised a lot of demons that he had thought he had laid to rest.

Sighing again he stood and hopped over the rim of the well letting the time slip spirit him away into the future.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­A cramped muscle at the base of Kagome's neck was playing merry hell with her attempts to sleep. She tossed and turned on her bed but nothing would ease the tightness that seemed to have a conscious will to stop her sleeping. With a soft growl that would have made her half demon friend proud she got up, wrapped a light yukata around herself and went quietly down stairs to try her luck on the sofa in the main room.

As the rest of her family had long retired for bed, she flicked on a small table lamp so that she could arrange a couple of scatter cushions into a fairly comfortable position. She laid down and was just about to turn the light off when she heard a window being stealthily opened. Holding her breath she padded out into the hallway only to run into something firm and red.

"You're early." She said dryly once her heart had resumed it usual place in her chest. Inuyasha stared down at her in surprise. "You say that like it's a bad thing… I always come to get you early, otherwise you'd always be late! Besides I told you I'd be coming for you, you were expecting me…" Giving him a glare, Kagome hissed, "It's 2 in the morning, I was not expecting _anyone_ to be coming through a window at this time of night! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Inuyasha had the good grace to look embarrassed.

Groaning slightly, Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes. She trudged back into the main room and flumped onto the sofa wearily. Inuyasha sat on the floor near her feet looking contrite. "Can't sleep?" She looked up at him with a grimace, "No."

Sitting up, she patted the sofa indicating that he should sit beside her. "I told my family that I will be going back with you and that I'm not sure what will happen." Inuyasha gave her a pained expression, she knew what he was thinking straight away, "They took it surprisingly well. I was expecting Grandpa to try and seal the well from this end, but even he was good about my decision." She gave a short laugh, "Souta now thinks that I'm some kind of warrior priestess going back in time to do battle!" Inuyasha cocked his head slightly in thought, "Well, you are. Kind of."

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but it was lost in a huge jaw cracking yawn. "Oi, enough talk. You need to rest. Lie down and get some sleep." Inuyasha gently ordered her. Shaking her head slightly, Kagome shifted slightly on the sofa so that she could lay her head on the cushions. It was not any more comfortable that her bed had been. She growled under her breath as she punched the cushions to fluff them up a bit.

"What are you doing that for?!"

"I have a killer crick in my neck and I can't get comfortable enough to sleep anywhere!" To Kagome's complete surprise, Inuyasha reached for her neck and asked her to sit up next to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and used his thumbs to gently feel the muscles in her upper shoulders and neck. She tried to turn and face him, "What are you…?"

"Shh! I can't feel what's wrong if you keep trying to twist around, so hold still for a minute!"

Well that was a surprise! Since when did Inuyasha know anything about finding muscle groups and massage! There was always more than met the eye with the hanyou and Kagome never appreciated it more than when he gently but firmly began to soothe the kinks out of her tortured muscles and get them to relax.

Almost as if his hands were a balm, Kagome began to find herself drifting off to sleep under Inuyasha's care. She started awake when he gently scooped her up and turned off the light. "Wha-"

"You'll sleep better in your own bed, not bunched up on the sofa." he said softly as he carried her towards he room, "You'll be all upset in the morning if you don't sleep well and I really don't feel like being 'sat' for no reason." She glowered at him, thinking that he would not be able to see her expression in the dark. Much as he had a point, it had not been fair of him to voice it.

Still grumbling silently to herself, Kagome found herself placed carefully on her bed whilst Inuyasha settled himself on the floor with his back against the wall so that he could keep watch over her whilst she slept. Pulling the covers over herself she closed her eyes and yawned again, "'Night Inuyasha. Thanks."

The hanyou gave a jaw splitting yawn of his own and watched as his charge drifted off to sleep. He didn't realise that he had fallen asleep himself until Kagome started in her sleep and woke him. Perhaps it was safe enough in her home to risk a little sleep. Settling Tessaiga more comfortably against his shoulder, he allowed himself to drift off.

Kagome had never been an early riser until she started travelling with Inuyasha, she'd had to be forcibly dragged out of bed for the first few months. Now she automatically woke at dawn as was the usual habit of her group of friends: up at dawn, a swift breakfast and then onwards after the shards. She was surprised to see Inuyasha still asleep against the wall.

Not wanting to wake him, she softly drew back her sheets and started for the door as quietly as she could. She did not get far before he cracked open one eye and watched her, "Jinenji moves more quietly than you."

It wasn't strictly true. Kagome had learned very quickly how to travel quietly, having an Inu hanyou in the group had helped: he very quickly told her off for making a racket when they were trying to stalk youkai that had shards _and_ very good hearing. She was a good student and had rapidly picked up what he had taught her, Inuyasha had only woken up because he was so tuned in to hearing every move his charge made.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She kept her voice low as she knew that the rest of her family would not likely wake for another couple of hours. Taking her cue to be quiet, Inuyasha yawned lazily and stretched, "You didn't, I was already awake."

Kagome rolled her eyes, 'Yeah right!' she thought to herself. 'The great Inuyasha doesn't need to sleep. Sleep is for weak mortals.' Letting out an exasperated breath she drew her light yukata around her and headed for the door and even though she knew what the answer would be she asked her friend, "Want something to eat?" Inuyasha was on his feet faster than thought.

Breakfast consisted of tea and toast for Kagome and the obligatory ramen for Inuyasha. "I don't know how you can eat that stuff first thing in the morning." He gave her a dry look over the rim of his ramen cup and continued inhaling his noodles. Inuyasha looked uncomfortable in the quiet that followed breakfast and it was obvious that the hanyou had something he had to say but was not sure how to say it, so Kagome put a cup of tea in front of him, poured another for herself and settled herself in for the wait.

"Kohaku's dead."

The cup halted halfway to Kagome's mouth, "Does Sango-"

"Yes."

She closed her eyes and sighed softly. "We have to go back today. I was planning on spending another couple of days here but-" she suddenly stopped mid speech. Inuyasha still looked uncomfortable. "Wait a minute, how did you find out anyway?"

She must have hit the nail on the head, because Inuyasha visibly flinched. She made every effort to keep her tone light. "Inuyasha?

He couldn't meet her eyes, in fact he looked downright guilty. What could he have done to make him look like that?! He only looked like that after he'd seen… Her light tone dissipated like mist before the sun.

"Kikyo."

His eyes flashed up to hers once and he saw several 'sits' dancing in her eyes. He decided that the tabletop was infinitely more fascinating and he studied it intently to avoid that dangerous look in her eyes. "She only came to tell us that Naraku was going after that skinny wolf for his shards and that he already has the one from Kohaku's back."

"When?"

"It was just before you left to come back here-"

Kagome shook her head, "No, when did he take Kohaku's shard and then start chasing Koga?" She still didn't sound happy, but at least she didn't sound like she was going to sit him anymore.

"I don't know, she didn't say. She just said that we should be moving to meet him soon."

The heat left Kagome's eyes and her shoulders sagged, all the tension leaving them. "We need to be going as soon as possible then really. I'll get changed and start packing the things we'll need."

Not knowing exactly what he could to do to comfort his friend, Inuyasha stood and put his cup in the sink with their breakfast dishes. She smiled warmly at him and reached over to give his hand a gentle squeeze, "I'm okay, really." Her firm tone didn't marry up with the sadness in her scent, but he smiled back and returned the squeeze. "I'm sorry."

In any other situation, Inuyasha apologising would have floored her, but she knew the sentiment that was behind his comment. "Yeah, me too." She gave his hand a final squeeze and headed upstairs to change.

As she reached the top of the stairs, Kagome was surprised to see Mama watching her. "I though you were asleep, sorry we woke you." Mama shook her head and smiled, "I couldn't sleep anyway dear." It was then that Kagome realised that though Mama had said that she would not stop her from going back, she really, _really_ didn't want her to go. "Oh, Mama!" Kagome enfolded her in a hug and held onto her tightly. "I'll try to come back, really I will!"

"I know Kagome, I know. As I've already told you, I know that Inuyasha will do his utmost to keep you safe, that's why I'm letting you go back. If he hadn't already proven that he _can_ keep you safe, I would move heaven and earth to stop you from going back, no matter what he thought of the matter." She relinquished her grip on her daughter, gently pushing her towards her room, "Go on, get dressed. I need a talk with Inuyasha before you go. Take your time."

As she slowly dressed Kagome had to feel a bit sorry for the hanyou, she knew Mama's 'talk' would make him very uncomfortable.

Inuyasha's ears perked as he heard Mama descending the stairs, he hastily stood and stammered his apologies at waking her. She shook her head with a small smile, "As I've just told Kagome, I was already awake." She made herself a cup of tea and offered him another, he declined and she waved him to a seat. He sat and folded his hands on the table top so that his claws could not be seen. Subconsciously, Mama wondered if that was deliberate or if it was just a habit he had adopted around humans.

"There are some things I'd like to know before you go back Inuyasha."

She watched as he swallowed hard. "I know that you are going back to fight and from what Kagome has told me, I know that it is a fight that must be won at all costs. Since we live without any trace of youkai in these modern times, I can only assume that you or someone after you succeeded in your task. I understand Kagome's role in the fight is to locate the jewel and to try and purify it once you are victorious."

Mama looked him in the eye and Inuyasha found that he could not look away.

"One thing I want to know is will you take care of my daughter after her task is completed? If she is trapped in your era will you continue to look out for her as you have done so far in your search for the jewel shards?"

Injured pride flared inside Inuyasha's chest and he forgot to whom he was speaking. All embarrassment fled when he met Mama's firm look with a glare of his own. "Whether the jewel is completed or not, I would die for Kagome!"

Mama hadn't even flinched at his outburst. "That's not what I asked you. Will you continue to look after her? You know first hand that she is strong willed and often cannot see the forest for the trees. Will you make sure she is looked after and housed? I am going to charge you with the safety of my daughter, but I want you to assure me that you will not only protect her, but also that you will _look after_ her."

The realisation of what Mama was asking him sank in and he flushed, " I will." he mumbled at the tabletop.

Mama smiled softly and Inuyasha looked up when she gave a soft chuckle. Kami she looked just like Kagome like that! "Good. Then I am pleased. I know that she has a deep regard for you and she considers you her closest friend, I just wanted to make sure that I do not have to fear that she will be alone once this is all over."

Inuyasha's flush took on a deeper hue as he met Mama's eyes, "You will never have to fear for Kagome. She will always have me, she'll never be alone I will make sure of that!"

The smile disappeared from Mama's face to be replaced by a look Inuyasha could not read, but he knew that he was not going to like what was coming next. "You do not have to answer my final question, but you would earn even greater respect in my eyes if you could give me a straight answer."

Inuyasha braced himself for what he thought was coming.

"Do you have feelings for Kagome?"

Whatever had been going through Inuyasha's mind, it wasn't that and he all but fell off his seat, "Wha…?"

"Do you have feelings for my daughter that go beyond friendship?"

Attempting to regain his composure and also regain his seat, Inuyasha fixed the table with a nervous stare. How could he answer that?! Yes, he did and he wanted Kagome to become his lifelong partner and mate after this was all over? Yes, he loved her more than life itself? Yes, he loved her and would put aside all of his hopes to become a full demon just to be with her? Yes, he loved her so much that he would us the jewel to become a weak and useless human if she wanted him to?

So many possible answers ran through his head that he did not notice the warm smile that spread across Mama's face. His own matched the colour of his fire rat haori and he was struggling to lift his eyes to meet hers.

In the end it was all he could do to grind out "Yes." from between clenched teeth. The admission had almost hurt him to say it, but it pleased Mama immensely. She reached across the table and much as Kagome had done, gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "She will not hear of it from me. It's something between you two and that will be up to you to tell her. But I want you to know that I would be honoured to welcome you back after the battle and have you become a part of our family."

Was she giving him permission to take Kagome as his mate? She wanted him to become part of her family?! He was just a filthy hanyou he didn't deserve to be part of-

"Are we ready to go?" Kagome hovered just outside of the kitchen and was carrying her oversized backpack. She had not dressed in her usual school uniform and was instead wearing a full set of miko robes, just like Kikyo wore.

"Where did you-"

"The first time I fell through the well, Kaede gave me these to wear after I had washed my own clothes. I got pushed into the well by Yura and my clothes got left behind. You remember?"

Although her hair was not tied back in the same fashion that traditional mikos like Kikyo adopted: she had left it loose, Inuyasha had to admit that she looked every inch the warrior priestess that Souta had called her, all she needed was a bow and a quiver of arrows at her back.

As Kagome had predicted, Mama's talk with Inuyasha had not been a comfortable one; the hanyou's face was beet red and he was hiding his eyes behind his thick bangs, clearly embarrassed. She really must learn how she did that, it would save the beads of subjugation a lot of use!

"Keh, we just need some food supplies and we're good to go." He even sounded embarrassed! What shad they been discussing before she came down stairs?! She shook her head and proceeded to cram as much ramen - and other foods - into her bag as it could take before bursting at the seams.

"Mama-"

"Don't say 'goodbye' Kagome."

With a sharp nod, Kagome picked up her bag and hefted it across her back. The weight of it took her a little off balance and Inuyasha reached out a steadying hand. "You really are weak!"

"Hey! It's heavy! If you think I'm weak then you carry it; it's mainly ramen anyway!"

Growling at each other and facing off felt so natural, Mama watched amused as the pair continued to trade insults all the way to the well house, but she couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha took the bag from Kagome and slung it over his own shoulder not long after leaving the house.

With a final glance back, Kagome opened the well house doors and went inside with her grumbling companion. She waved back at the house not knowing that Mama finally let her resolve crumble and she sat at the table dissolved into tears.

This is a first attempt at an Inuyasha fic. I admit to being a frustrated armchair writer, so you will have to forgive me for this! The enthusiasm is there, but sometimes the ability cannot keep up!!!!!

Please feel free to review - all constructive criticism is welcome and positive review feed my already fired imagination! Flames will be fed to Ah-Un!

Thanks for reading!


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